This week’s reality TV recap: The ‘DWTS’ semifinals end with a controversial twist, another contestant quits ‘The Voice’ — and more

Good morning, reality fans! This Thanksgiving, I’m feeling thankful for all the TV we’ve consumed this year, and I hope you are too. On that note, let’s discuss this week’s many blessings.

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Reality moment of the week

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans have been dying to see the fallout of Dorit Kemsley’s separation from her husband, PK, and it turns out, her reaction broke the internet.

What happened: As news of the separation went public, Dorit surprised us all by lighting up a smoke onscreen for the first time in eight seasons while her fellow Housewives digested the news. That’s one way to cope! [BuzzFeed]

What people are saying: On Watch What Happens Live, Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent branded the moment “iconic,” while Dorit further revealed that paparazzi were chasing her. [Us Weekly]

My hot take: I just can’t stop wondering how mad Kyle Richards must be that her frenemy scored this week’s Big Viral Moment, while she merely got… [checks notes] accused of trying to “hook up” with Kevin Costner? Woof. [People]

The recaps

🎤 ‘The Voice’

For a second week in a row, someone left early without explanation — this time Mor Ilderton. On the way out, he teased an upcoming song. Will anyone stay until the end of the season? [Yahoo Entertainment/Los Angeles Times]

💃 ‘Dancing With the Stars’

The semifinals brought a big twist this week: No one went home! This has happened only once before in DWTS history, and honestly, I didn’t love it. Only one pair can claim the mirror ball trophy. Why delay the inevitable? [Yahoo Entertainment/Parade]

🏝️ ‘Survivor’

Gabe Ortis’s elimination wasn’t shocking, but I’ll never understand that disastrous negotiation in which everyone gave up their Shots in the Dark (a one-in-six chance to avoid elimination) for a lousy bag of rice. [Entertainment Weekly]

🗽 ‘RHONY’

Erin Lichy and Rebecca Minkoff’s pregnancy prank from last week has seriously backfired. The two orchestrated this ruse to expose Brynn Whitfield as a “leaky pigeon,” but instead, everyone’s ready to pluck Erin for being full of it. [Daily Beast]

🎭 ‘The Masked Singer’

Nickelodeon alum Drake Bell was unmasked as Ice King. Bell described his Fox journey as “freeing” after his “traumatic experiences” as a child star. At the same time, his return to TV is more complicated than it might appear. [People/NBC News]

Reality trivia

Who is the youngest contestant to win The Voice?

Hint: They were on Team Kelly Clarkson.

Answer at the bottom.

3 questions

...with Emily Leibert

As we all predicted, the RHOBH premiere was absolutely packed with drama. I asked Emily Leibert, a superfan who covers culture for the Cut, to break it down.

Laura: What did you think of the season premiere?

Emily: In some ways, RHOBH is starting to feel like it’s taking its last gasp á la Sex and the City Season 6. Icons are leaving one by one, and almost every marriage, sham or otherwise, has fallen apart. This may never be the Housewives of yore, but I'm not not down for The Real Divorcées of Beverly Hills.

Laura: What kind of energy does Bozoma Saint John bring to this group?

Emily: She's certainly fabulous. It’s hard to tell so early on if she’ll actually get her hands dirty with the vets, but I’m hopeful. At the very least, I find it fascinating that someone so outwardly identified with corporate America and Big Tech was interested in joining the cast at all.

Laura: Do you have an all-time favorite RHOBH feud?

Emily: Sutton Stracke’s “Name ’Em” soliloquy in her feud with Kyle Richards will go down in history as one of my favorite scenes across franchises. It’s childish and evil, a perfect combination.

Relive more top RHOBH moments: Remember the “dinner party from hell”?

Next week's watch list

1️⃣ The Voice: The Playoffs continue on Monday at 8 p.m. ET and Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. In the meantime, let’s revisit Jan Dan’s incredible performance of “Dust in the Wind.” [Parade]

2️⃣ Dancing With the Stars: Are you ready for the finale on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC? Here’s how all of our finalists are prepping for the big night. [Us Weekly]

3️⃣ The Masked Singer: The singing competition will air a Thanksgiving-themed special on Thursday instead of Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox with a special guest. [Entertainment Weekly]

✅ Trivia answer: Brynn Cartelli was 15 years old when she won The Voice Season 14 in 2018.

About In Reality: It’s hard to keep up when there’s so much great reality TV. Good thing entertainment reporter Laura Bradley is an expert at staying on top of everything. Every Saturday morning, she shares a roundup of what happened on the week’s top shows. Sign up.